Can Microsoft Do Better with Google’s Ad Idea?
Google AdSense is a huge way Google -- and sometimes even its partners -- makes
money. So, Google can be pretty vigilant about partner abuses. When my son’s
pal got his friends to click like crazy, Google cut the kid off. But Google
is less circumspect when it comes to itself. It doesn’t usually give partners
a contract, never seems to disclose how many clicks the partner gets, and seems
to pay out whatever it deems appropriate. Find out more
here.
Now Microsoft with its new adCenter wants
in on this game and actually might act more ethically than Google. If it
can be upfront about clicks and pay accordingly, Microsoft might have a pretty
good shot.
Vista: Lame or Cool?
Windows XP is totally outcooled by the Mac. (In my opinion, desktop Linux is
only cool to true uber-geeks; agree or disagree at [email protected]).
But Redmond has a shot with Vista since it’s not finished. Instead of
hitching its wagon to the creaky, crusty, nursing-homebound Rolling Stones (when
they say “Start Me Up,” they’re asking for a defibrillator),
they’re going to obscure but brilliant musician Robert Fripp, who’s
creating
the sounds that will be built into the Vista OS. For the 258 obscure musicologists
who love Fripp, Vista will be at least a little cool. What's your favorite Fripp
album? Tell me at [email protected].
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Computing with Gas
I don’t trust Windows with my personal data, but now Microsoft wants us
all to have total faith in Windows
CE-based gas pumps that will let us browse for directions, diagnose our
engines (making sure those mufflers bearings are properly lubed), and order
a bunch of junk food from the mini-mart. I have a slick Windows CE-based portable
that’s about five years old -- too bad the OS is less stable than Otis
after a night out in Mayberry.
Novell Third Party Gets Windows Religion
Visual Click, a long-time provider of security and management tools for NetWare,
is shifting its expertise (and code) to Windows and Active Directory. Its first
Windows tool is DSRazor
for Windows, which does security assessment, including the ability to baseline
AD attributes and objects.
About the Author
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.